Why would Tony Blair's sister-in-law convert to Islam?

The Telegraph ^ | October 25th, 2010 | Ed West

[Alex Murphy]

It was only a matter of time. Tony Blair’s sister-in-law Lauren Booth has converted to Islam after a dose of “spiritual morphine” in Iran, although she talks about the world’s fastest-growing religion like it was the latest version of the Atkins Diet:

“Now I don’t eat pork and I read the Koran every day. I’m on page 60. I also haven’t had a drink in 45 days, the longest period in 25 years,” she said.

And she’s even refused to rule out wearing a burka: “Who knows where my spiritual journey will take me?”

Politically Booth has always struck me as being incredibly naïve, or willfully ignorant of reality. She writes:

Here in Iran they feel proud to suffer in order to express solidarity with the people of Palestine. It’s kind of like the way you express solidarity with America only without illegal chemical weapons and a million civilian deaths.

Presumably being a past contributor to the Iranian regime’s mouthpiece, Press TV, makes it easier for her to overlook Iran’s appalling human rights record, stories of widespread torture, rape and murder following last year’s rigged elections, its role in murdering dozens of dissidents across Europe, and its financing of various homicidal sectarian groups in Iraq.

I’ve written before about the fascination some middle-class Englishwomen have with Islam and the Arab world; the paradox is that many who convert come from progressive backgrounds and would be horrified at the idea of embracing Catholicism or one of the more conservative forms of Protestantism. And yet they’re prepared to adopt a religion far more traditional in its attitude to the sexes, and adopt an item of clothing that Middle Eastern women fought so hard and courageously to get rid of.

[Alex Murphy]

"Here in Iran they feel proud to suffer in order to express solidarity with the people of Palestine. It’s kind of like the way you express solidarity with America only without illegal chemical weapons and a million civilian deaths."

I’ve written before about the fascination some middle-class Englishwomen have with Islam and the Arab world; the paradox is that many who convert come from progressive backgrounds and would be horrified at the idea of embracing Catholicism or one of the more conservative forms of Protestantism. And yet they’re prepared to adopt a religion far more traditional in its attitude to the sexes, and adopt an item of clothing that Middle Eastern women fought so hard and courageously to get rid of.

[kromike]

Uhhh, because she’s stupid & enjoys being abused as second-hand property?

[isthisnickcool]

The answer is simple, she is an idiot. That is the first requirement to be a moslem.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

“Who knows where my spiritual journey will take me?”

The fact that she consider Islam to be a "spiritual journey" means she's in for a rude awakening when she decides to move on to her next fad.

[SpinnerWebb]

Any bets that she’ll be involved in a paparazzi limo accident?

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

The Western spiritual vacuum will result in mass conversions to Islam and Buddhism. The more aggressive personality types going to Islam, the more passive personalities to Buddhism"

[Twinkie]

Yep. There’s no converting allowed where she’s chosen to go now. They’ll like making an example of her when she chooses to opt out, because she’s big in the public eye . Looks like all her changes have been outwardly; Christ is inward where the Holy Spirit writes His laws on our hearts and in our minds. She’s welcome to the burka.

[ReneeLynn]

Sounds like she and islam deserve each other.

[miss marmelstein]

As much as I liked Princess Diana (for her beauty), she fell in love with a Muslim doctor, visited his family in India (I think) and told him she would convert if necessary. Luckily for her, he dumped her.

Bored, middle and upper-class women have no common sense.

[Esther Ruth]

If - by ‘converting’ they mean change from one thing to another then I don't know if the word applies in this case. I think what most are doing is just adding gods/deities to their basket like gathering chicken eggs in the barn. Just picking everything up and throwing it in - a big universalist, polytheism, there are many ways and many roads to god type of paganism. Perhaps this is how these pagan universalists think they can in some twisted way “convert” the muslims over or whoo them away little by little, by mixing it all up and showing them how to embrace all gods - so by example they will get them to change.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

the paradox is that many who convert come from progressive backgrounds and would be horrified at the idea of embracing Catholicism or one of the more conservative forms of Protestantism. And yet they’re prepared to adopt a religion far more traditional in its attitude to the sexes, and adopt an item of clothing that Middle Eastern women fought so hard and courageously to get rid of.

That's the deal with many Western liberals - the snark, the name-calling and the smug condescension are reserved for other Westerners who disagree in a civilized manner with them. But when faced with implacable, brutal opposition bent on stamping out every one of the principles they claim to cherish, liberals lose the vitriol and develop a bizarre crush on those who would dominate them. It happened with the Soviet Union and now hard-line Islam. There's a definite and unmistakable streak of masochism in Western liberalism. These "progressive" women are simply taking it to it's logical conclusion.

[triumphant values]

Uhhh, because she’s stupid & enjoys being abused as second-hand property?

Nope. Not at all. Because she's a woman. And being a journalist and educated she's a ahead of the curve even if she doesn't always know what she's looking at.

Women are attracted to Alpha. Alpha is that which is ascending or winning, if you will. Islam is ascending. Western secularism and liberalism is descending. So Islam is the Alpha.

In 1929, the Weimar Republic had the largest, strongest liberal feminist movement, decades ahead of its time in the West. By 1935 those same women suddenly were the most enthusiastic attendees of Nazi rallies.

What changed? Who the Alphas were. National Socialist policy nerds who couldn't get a date 7 years prior now had 5 mistresses. Women like a winner. Don't pay attention to what they say, only watch what they do.

[redgolum]

You are right.

[Jaded]

This is like the 4th time this has been posted.

She loves the attention. It makes her PC just like the steamroller girl. (I don’t remember her name)

[Alex Murphy]

This is like the 4th time this has been posted.

This would make the eighth, if you listen to the whiners.

[redgolum]

This is also why Christianity is dieing in the West.

The Church has become feminine, and while women clamor for that, in the end they will reject it.

[triumphant values]

This is also why Christianity is dieing in the West. The Church has become feminine, and while women clamor for that, in the end they will reject it.

Well you can't kill 22 million of your men in 20 years and think things are going to go back to the way they were. Europe inflicted a mortal wound upon itself in 1914 and it has slowly bled out since and it will die. And we also wounded ourselves pretty badly by getting involved with them twice.

Those wars massively changed the culture and economic structure here too. We didn't see it right away so people think that it didn't. But what came out of the 60s is directly traceable back to that. And as Hilaire Belloc wrote, "Europe is the faith, the faith is Europe". So pray for the best, prepare for the worst.

[cradle of freedom]

I remember when women had self-respect.

[Nosterrex]

When it comes to the Brits, nothing surprises me. Considering the state of Christianity in England, I would not be surprised if the whole nation converted to Islam. The truth is that this woman believed in nothing, and she converted to nothing.